Ribbon-shift for type-writers.



A Z. G. SHOLES. RIBBON -sHIFI lFoR TIPE IWRITERS.l

APPLICATION 'FILED DE'ILIS. Ism.

Patented Dec.. 28, 1915.

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51 mm, who@ Z. G; SHOL'ES. RIRBoN SHIFT EoR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED Dea-I5, I 9I4. v QI, Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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IIII Il UNITE@ STATE PATENT FFICE.

ZALMON Gf. SHOLES, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNGB. BY M'SNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO SHOLES STANDARD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, 0F ILMINGQON, DELA.-

WARE, A CGRPORATION DE DELAWARE.

Appieaton filed December 15.1914.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, ZALMON G. Siioiirs, ay citizen'of the United States. residing at Vilniington, in the State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Shifts for Type-lllriters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the -proved form of automatic ribbon feed for typewriters whereby the reversal of the ribbon isaccomplished by simple and reliable automatic means of novel construction, each time that either bobbin carrying the ribbon is emptied.

My improvement is applicable to a variety of types of machines and therefore in my drawings I have omitted such parts of the machine as were not essential to cooperation with the working parts of my invention. These are shown in a preferred form in front elevation in Figlire 1, while Fig. 2 shows the same-in elevation as seen from the right hand side of the machine, and Fig. 3 is a plan-view of one of the ribbon-carrying bobbins with portion of the.

top flange broken away.

The ribbon 10 is carried in a well known manner upon two bobbins 11 and 12 on opposite sides of the machine. 'Ihe bobbin 11 is removablyfmounted in a well known manner upon the revoluble shaft 13, and the bobbin is similarly mounted upon the shaft 14. Fast on the lower ends of theselshafts are provided beveled gears 15 and 16, and one or the other b'obbin is wound up through its said gear wheel, by appropriate means.

'As is usual in these machines, the bobbin which is not being wound up is unwound by the tension exerted upon the ribbon by the other bobbin.

The preferred winding mechanism, which is shiftable yso as to affect one bobbin at a time, and one after the other in alternation automatically, comprises a tran verse driving shaft 17, impelled by a beveled gear 18, which is in turn driven by the gear 19 moving intermittently with the carriage driving wheel 20, in a well known manner. This wheel acts on` the carriage through a belt or strap 21' whose free extremity is fixed to Specification of Letters Patent.

rai-@mea nec. es, isis.

Serial No. 877,349.

thecarriage at' 22. The gear 18 is fixed to a sleeve Q3 which is loose on the` shaft 1T. and is prevented from longitudinal movement (right or left of the machine) by a circular flange 2l whose edge turns in a Each bevel gear 15 and 1G is driven by its own subordinate countershaft 31, 32,'

through bevel pinions 31. meshing with 15 and 1G. The rear ends of shafts 31, 32 are furnished with bevel gears 35, 36. l

The main driving shaft 1T is furnished with pinions 3T, 38, adapted to mesh one at a ti1ne)"'with the gears 35 and 3G. respectively. The shaftl 1T, and 'therefore VVthe bobbins. may be turned by means of the handle-.39, if desired.- y

In order to lock the shaft' 1T in one" orthe other extreme position automaticallyI prefer to employ catches 10 and'11. pivoted-.to the bearings 1Q, 43. and provided with 'extensions 11, 45. These catches are so proportioned as to drop by gravity into `grooves 16 in the shaft 1T. one of which is hidden in Fig. 1 by the bearing '-l Only one groove is .engaged by its locking` catch at al time.

In. order to provide means for automatic shifting' of the shaft 1T at the proper time. so as to change the direction of movement of the ribbon, I furnish said shaft with two short worms. 1T andJcS. which are normally idle: .and with these are associated corresponding movable abutments acting automatically one at a time to move the shaft by furnishing a point of resistance for effective operative Contact with the .threads of said worms respectively. These automatic movable abutments may be of1 lbaclifl asain't and' causes IGA ovvs, m holya f El only.; it being understand r structure-ot' the same kind lis the bobbin 1l, as shown' llirectly above the gear l i nivoted at Il@ a light flat lever an imstanding short armV and a long, substantially horizontal arm 5l. The

gage the vvorm 48, a pin 54, also on the rear end othe arm 5l, strikes the extension 45, the Icorresponding catch to leave the groove 46, thus unlocking the shaft 17 and permitting the revolving Worm i8 and its abutment 53 to coperate in moving the shaft l?, so as to disengage the pinion 37,

, vghile bringing the opposite pinion 38 into 'jell'ective mesh with the gear 36. Of course the'similarmovable abutment with its pin,

comes, will shift the shaftk when its 1 tu fthe position shown in Fig. l. ccomphsh the movement up and dovutoeach abutment point 53 at the proper timeautomatically, each bobbin has a central hollow cylindrical shell 55, suitably out away to forni a windovv 56 'on one side (see Fig. 3).v This cylinder 55 1s open on the under side, Where the end of the short arm 5G Venters the cylinder. A rollen 57 is preferably provided at the end of the arm 5G, andl is 'so arranged that, when there isany-1'ibbon-vv'ourid on the bobbin shell, the

Weight of the long arm 51 -keeps this roller lightly pressed, against ,the ribbon and' against the inner surface of the cylindrical shell 55, successiv'ely, as the bobbin turns. On' the other hand, when the ribbon is so 'far unvvound as to uncover the Window 56, the

-roller is allowed to move slightly outward through the Window, and this movement is suihcient to Icause the abutment point to engage its Worm, thus shitting the driving shaft l?, as above described, and causing the.

now empty bobbin to reverse its movement and begin to wind the ribbon upon itself again., thereby pressing inward the roller 57, and arm 50, and lifting the point 53 away' from its worm. After each shift of the shalt 17, it -is automatically locked at one end or Athe other bythe aupniolpriatev l() or il..

"Various changes may be made in the are' l shown and described.4

ll/'hat l'claim isl. ln a typewriter, bobbins therefor, a shittable driving shaft for said bobbins, a vvorm thereon, a movable abutment adapted to coperate v'vith said vvorm, a lock for said shaft and means for automatically releasing said lock While bringing saidabutment into contact with said vvormto shift saiddriving shaft, substantially as described.

2. ln a typewriter, a bobbin upon which the ribbon is wound, 'a shiftable driving Vshaft for said bobbin, a tiltable catch for locking said shaft, and a pivoted lever having one arm adapted when moved to tilt said catch and a second arm normallyflmaking contact vvith said ribbon vvhile on said bobbin, substantially as described.

3. .ln ribbon shitting means vvriters, a transverse driving shaft having a worm near each end and provided With locking grooves, .a tilting catch near each Worm for engaging said grooves, a' movable abutment for each Worm adapted to move into for type be l do not limit myselfto the details herein Eind out oi engagement each with its appropriate Worm and simultaneously to release the corresponding catch from its groove in the shaft; and means controlled bythe rib bon movem, t for actuating `said abutments ed at its end to engage temporarily with itsH corresponding ivorm on said shaft, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof, I affix my Signature, in presence of tvvo witnesses.

- ZALMON o. sHoLEs.

lVitnesses:

' H. S. MACKAYE KATHARINE C.' MEAD. 

